True and Consistent Courage

The only force that can sustain true and consistent courage is some form of spiritual belief that values notions like honor, duty, loyalty and integrity above the status, power, money and even security. — Michael Josephson Read Michael’s commentary on Moral Courage here: https://whatwillmatter.com/2016/09/commentary-moral-courage-the-engine-of-integrity-801-4/

2018 WOMEN’S MARCH

WOMEN’S MARCH. Huge diversity of goals but central issue of women’s well being and rights was appropriately dominate. Self-disclosing speeches by Natalie Portman, Scarlet Johansson and Viola Davis were especially insightful and poignant. Try to find and watch on internet. Edina Menzel singing Defying Gravity was moving. It was hard for me to grasp all the ways women and girls …

What Will Matter Poem– A Tribute to a Teacher’s Life

Click here to download the original high resolution poster. By Michael Josephson Ready or not, some day it will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, …

What Will Matter – Original Poem

Click here to download the original high resolution poster. by Michael Josephson Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.   There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.  All things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.  Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.  Your grudges, resentments, …

You Hold the Answers

YOU HOLD THE ANSWERS The key to every puzzle, The solution to to every problem, Is in your head waiting to be found.

Hang On, Pain Ends

Hang On, Pain Ends Pain is unavoidable but it isn’t permanent. The sun will come out tomorrow; it comes out every single day even when we can’t see it. You have the strength you need to get through this. The light at the end of the tunnel is your life; it’s the tunnel that’s temporary. – Michael Josephson

Ethics is Bigger Than Compliance

Ethics is bigger than compliance. Compliance is doing what you are required to do; ethics is about doing what you should do. An act is not ethical simply because it’s legal, nor is it proper simply because it’s permissible. In an ethical culture, people are expected to do more than ask what they have a right to do; they are …

Michael Josephson’s NBC4 Interview: “What 2017 Says About America’s Character”

Michael Josephson’s NBC4 Interview: “What 2017 Says About America’s Character” As 2017 came to a close, Michael Josephson sat down with NBC4’s Conan Nolan to discuss what the year 2017 demonstrated about the country’s character. Both segments of Michael’s interview (which was a part of the NBC4’s NewsConference segment) are worth watching — especially as we think about how character …

What You Can Be

To truly grow you have to be willing at any moment to sacrifice what you’re for what you can be. Subscribe to free weekly newsletter featuring articles and quotes of Michael Josephson at www.whatwillmatter.com

CNN Heroes Awards

With all dark news that promotes cynicism CNN Heroes Awards is uplifting. Watch or read about these good people who are making a difference. I will donate to all finalists who are working to heal the world. I hope you do so to.

Vulnerability: Loss of Power at Atlanta Airport

Loss of power at Atlanta airport causing travel crisis, regardless of cause, shows us how vulnerable we are to cyber-attack. Congress must make a concerted effort and major investment to quickly understand the vulnerabilities and devise solid solutions. The Russian election shenanigans (a benevolent sounding term for an act of war) could be just the tip off the ice berg. …

Worrying is Carrying Tomorrow’s Load with Today’s Strength

Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. – Corrie ten Boom It’s always wise to anticipate possible problems but success and peace of mind increase if you can discipline yourself to not allow concern about negative “what-ifs” to sap …

For every ACTION there is an equal and opposite CRITICISM

For every ACTION there is an equal and opposite CRITICISM A critical quality of effective leadership is a THICK SKIN. In addition to PASSION, PERSISTENCE and PERSUASIVENESS, change agents have the COURAGE and CONFIDENCE to withstand criticism. Effective leaders need many qualities but those who seek to make meaningful change and solve complex problems with competing interests must have the …

Ethics Doesn’t Demand a Life of Self-Sacrifice

“Ethics doesn’t demand a life of self-sacrifice nor require us to ignore our desires and needs. It does expect us to care about right and wrong, to know the difference between what we want to do and what we should do, and to muster the moral courage to do what is right.” – Michael Josephson

First of Eight Days of Hanukkah

First of eight days of Hanukkah. The gift I wish for each day is a day where everyone … DAY 1: HONESTY – tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth DAY 2: INTEGRITY – does the right thing simply because it is right DAY 3: RESPECT – lives by the Golden Rule DAY 4: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY …

COMMENTARY: Myths About & Misuse of the Golden Rule

MYTHS ABOUT & MISUSE OF THE GOLDEN RULE. The core of the GOLDEN RULE is a moral obligation to treat others ethically for their sake, not ours, even if it’s better than the way they treat us. Why? Not because it’s advantageous, but because it’s RIGHT. And because the way we treat others is about WHO WE ARE, not who …

Lying Can Define Our Character

It’s a pity how often we chisel away at our integrity with lies and deceptions to gain small advantages or avoid discomfort. It’s not simply that these dishonesties corrupt our lives and endanger the trust that’s so important to our relationships, It’s that lying becomes a habit, an easy coping mechanism that, more than we care to admit, begins to …